I am far behind, but I would still like to offer excess martagon section seeds from my lilies. (For you that are in the southern hemisphere, the timing is just about right.) Seeds were all open pollenated, and the probable crosses aren't anything to write home about. Still, you never know what you might get.
I candled them, and have over 400 seeds from Lilium ‘Mrs. R.O. Backhouse’ and a few others, and this would be a good opportunity to just experiment with germinating delayed hypogeal martagon section seed. Even if you don’t want to grow them on, that’s just fine with me! This is a good opportunity gain martagon seed knowledge, without jeopardizing your very special seeds.
Many of you have seen how I often germinate seeds in little 2x3 inch baggies of fine vermiculite. As Lorn has mentioned, too, vermiculite can be difficult to work with because it is hard to gauge and regulate the moisture level. It might be easier to use a light soil mix instead. On the other hand, this would also be a good time to try the vermiculite since this seed is not so precious. I just find it is “prettier” and more amenable to good photographing with the vermiculite. I can certainly give you plenty of seed to try multiple methods and compare, and that’s what I recommend.
To be able to watch the seeds grow, when I use the little baggies, I first fill the bag loosely with vermiculite, and then put the seeds on top of the mix as the baggy lays flat on the table. A drop of water on the end of a toothpick will grab a dry seed for easy placement. Seal the bag and turn it upside down and proceed. This way, when the seeds germinate you will be able to see everything that is happening. If you leave the seeds on top, roots and bulbs will disappear into the medium when they germinate. You won’t get to see anything.
But of course, you can treat the seeds however you desire.
The 400 Backhouse seeds were most likely fertilized with pollen from Super Tsing or Terrace City. And the 50 seeds I have of open pollinated Terrace City were likely pollenated by Backhouse or Super Tsing. These three cultivars were within 10ft of each other. My other hybrids with L. tsingtauense in their background (about 20 kinds) are all 80-100ft away. they are improbable, but possible suitors.
Mrs. R.O. Backhouse & Terrace City
I also have about 50 seeds of an open pollenated light pink martagon, lightly spotted on both the face and reverse. This one, especially, would be a great throw-away experiment. Though the flowers are quite nice, the pedicels are limp and overall inflorescence structure not that desirable.
So if you would like to try any, send me a t-mail with your address and what seed you would like. Lily seeds don’t need bubble wrap, but if you want that, then I’ll need $$ reimbursement. After a week, I will divvy them up and send them off.
